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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. club — for dancing
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. last — finally
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. field — a subject
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. field — farmland
  15. last — final
  16. club — for golf
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. club — a group
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. last — to go on
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pound — a weight
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com